Philosophy of Ministry:
1) I believe in salvation by grace through faith solely in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Eph 2:8-9, Rom 10:9-10, Titus 3:3-5).
2) I believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God, truth without error. I believe that the Bible is our final authority on all matters of faith, ethics and morals personally and in church organization. (2 Tim3:16-17, John 17:17).
3) I believe the Church to be God's instrument of His mission to redeem a lost world; therefore, the first priority of the church is to make disciples by winning lost souls to Christ and teaching them to grow up into the image of Christ. Disciple making is what we are commanded to do (Matt 28:18-20) and empowered to do (Acts 1:8).
4) I believe that each believer has a responsibility and a calling to grow in their walk with Christ. God has called us to be holy and conformed to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
5) I believe that Christians should dwell in unity within the church. Jesus said by unity and love, the world will know that the father has sent Christ and that we are His disciples. (John 17:21-23, John 13:35).
6) I believe that the growth of the church is supernatural and given by God to those churches who are faithful to lift up Christ as the only Savior and Lord (1 Cor 3:6, Matt 16:18).
7) I believe that the spiritual growth of the church should take place first, and foremost through small group Bible study. It is the church organized for learning, fellowship and support, which is the best reflection of the early church. A great Bible study ministry focuses a church on the strength of it's people (Acts 2:41-47).
8) I believe that music in the worship service should be joyful, worshipful and lead people to focus on Christ and not themselves. A good worship ministry is essential to good preaching. Music can lead people to direct their attention on Christ and prepare their hearts to receive the word of God (Ps. 40:3, 9-10).
9) The role of the pastor is not dictator, but as spiritual leader, pace setter, and partner in ministry with the church. Practically that means the pastor should, while not controlling each ministry, be involved and hold an interest in all age groups of the church ( 2 Tim 1:13, Phil 4:9).
10) I believe that the church should be involved in the community beyond holding worship services. Community service projects , partnerships with local agencies and ministries, family events and workshops focused on the needs and situations of the people sends a message to the community that a church cares and is relevant to their lives today (Acts 2:42-25).
11) I believe that the pastor should preach messages that are Biblical, relevant, understandable and applicable to life. Biblical, because the Bible is our source of truth, hope and help. Relevant, because Jesus Christ is real and alive today. Understandable, because we have a society that is becoming increasingly more illiterate regarding Christianity, God, and the Bible. Applicable, Because Knowledge does us no good without application in our lives (John 17:8, 17-19:2 Tim 3:15-17, Romans 15:4, Acts 20:32).
12) I believe that missions should be the heartbeat of a congregation in both giving and going, locally, regional and foreign. A church should give as much as they feel led to mission causes and encourage each member to participate in mission projects. A church that is willing to give sacrificially and go willingly, will in turn be blessed for it's heart to reach others (Psalm 96:2-5, 10; Acts 13:46-49, John 20:21; Luke 4:17-21).
